East Coast L1 - My Quest For A Goldtop Is At An End

My quest is finally at an end. Just shy of 20 years and I have it. I am one happy bunny. : )

0:00 Introduction to The Goldtop

9:03 Isolated Tones

14:48 Dave's Final Thought

17:50 Golden Skies Part 1

24:23 Golden Skies Part 2

36 :26 Shut Off

38:23 The Lost

53:03 The Scratches

55:06 Phasing Out

[robbrady]

I love Dave's enthusiasm for inexpensive gear.

[JAD]

Watching the first five minutes of this I thought Dave had got his hands on a high four figure guitar. But a quick search and these are less than £200! Daves lack of snobbery is an inspiration.

[zedcarr]

You deserve an EastCoast, Dave Simpson Signature guitar.
I'm sure their sales will have increased because of your YouTube videos, Dave.

[noeltedd]

I Love how enthusiastic Dave is about guitars - its

[stevelogan]

Like many here, Dave, I’m thrilled to hear you getting such glorious sounds—and such happiness—out of a budget guitar. I loved the moment around 16:00 where you said you’d played other Les Paul goldtops ‘but they were Gibsons’. You could have meant of course that they were in a different league, but it came across as if you were just putting them on a level with the other brands you mentioned. Sooner or later I imagine one fo the big guitar brands is likely to offer you a signature guitar. We all know how this works. A star player gets given an expensive piece of gear and then other players believe they must buy it in order to achieve excellence. What would be brilliant would be if you insisted that a signature guitar of yours had to be affordable. In the pedal world, it’s clear that many of the budget brands are producing very exact clones of boutique pedals for a fraction of the cost and that the main reasons you don’t see them often on pro boards is a) that the pros have been given expensive demo pedals free and b) the lingering feeling that there’s ‘just something about’ the expensive version that sounds better (which is sometimes true, sometimes false). You’ve done a lot to get guitarists concentrating on what gear does rather than how much prestige it carries, though you do recognise that some expensive gear is special and justifies its price. Anyway, at at time when the guitar business is encouraging us to be reckless consumers, it’s great you’re doing your bit to bring some humility and genuine thoughtfulness into the discussion of gear. Thanks, Dave.

[paulogden]

You are quickly becoming the guitar player who inspires me the most. Your depth of ingenuity and feeling expressed in your playing is amazing.

[mrbigdaveyb]

Being a relative newbie I diidn't know anything about East coast guitars, just googled them while listening to Dave make that gold top sing, some of the snobby comments on the forums are hilarious, my favourite being "I wouldn't use them to knock tent pegs in" ladies and gentlemen I give you the star witness for the defense 👍

[markthoel]

Keeping it real as always Dave. I just love the total lack of brand snobbery coming from one of the best guitar players around

[treborikki]

Always love the way you value every guitar that you present. I myself was fortunate to obtain a '78 Ibanez goltop (bolt on) seemed chambered too. It just sings! Every guitar out there, treated right is worth playing!

[jamesheffer]

Just bought an Eastcoast L1 goldtop from Andertons based on your video.
Have wanted a Goldtop LP forever but haven't the budget for the real thing or even an Epihone then stumbled upon your review and you've now made it ok to purchase a guitar without a certain brand name on the headstock.
My little girl is just starting out on her guitar journey and she's got a white L1 coming from Santa this Christmas cos she wants a guitar like her Dad.
Keep up the good work mate, really inspiring stuff.

[markrosenquist]

Wow! The Golden Skies is one of the best Guitar compositions I’ve ever heard. Simply Amazing Dave!!!🔥🔥🔥🤯

[Monkster]

Dave, I'm only 10 mins in and just had to comment on your amazing playing. What a beautiful sound, with such expression and feel. I sit here with a big smile in awe of your ability. Your enthusiasm for entry level kit is really refreshing. Excellent work mate 🎸👍🏼

[garygoodchild]

Dave, once again you prove it's not about the name on the headstock but the person playing the instrument! You are an inspiration 😎

[greg]

DAVE YOU GAVE ME THE GAS FOR ONE! That gold top is such a nice shade plus the dark fretboard looks amazing, need one now lol

[BigSifu]

I think we all really enjoy seeing you so happy! A set neck in that price range is a real bargain, don't let that one go! Have a great weekend Mr Dave.👍

[kderinoglu]

Proof that it's not the brand or cash you put into it, it's the hands and feelings that makes a Guitar amazing. Always a joy to watch your videos Dave my friend. Love and respect from 🇹🇷.

[mikepj]

You did it to me again!!!! I watched your video a few weeks ago and it thrusted me into GOLDTOP hunting mode. East Coast are not here in the US but I did a lot of visits to local shops and big box shops and played a few Les Pauls and I ended up with a used 2021 Epiphone Slash Les Paul, otherwise known as Victoria. AMAZE-BALLS!!!! CTS pots, orange drop capacitors and uncovered CUSTOM Pro buckers that turned out to be the best Epiphone pickups I ever played. Never liked the Probuckers really. ‘59 neck profile is awesome. BUT it doesn’t have a scratchplate. Anyway, your Goldtop is stunning and sounds awesome. Thanks for sharing.

[themisuk]

Dude that 'Golden Skies' jam was like listening to Comfortably Numb for the first time. NO exaggeration. You deserve the absolute best. PS, get ANY gear snob to listen to that, without knowing if its played on a dead cheap chinese les paul and rather affordable amp and pedals, and sit back while they rave about the quality of tone. ITS ALL IN THE FINGERS AND EARS.

[kalka]

WOW WOW WOW AMAZING ! MOVING ! UNERTHLY ! Your play just makes my soul flying high ... you have an unbelievable gift for giving emotions. AVE !

[Ogmabandcamp]

Incredible playing on Golden Skies and the guitar is beautiful too. Superb stuff.